Good evening. Thankful for the
opportunity to be here, to be with you all. Thankful for your
pastor. We had a chance to visit with
him and hear him preach down in Kingsport Friday night, so
it's been a joy. But thankful for his friendship
and so thankful to have him as a brother in Christ. So I'd ask
you to Open your Bibles with me to Isaiah 55. Our brother
read this back in the study. Isaiah 55. Look with me beginning with verse
six of Isaiah 55. Seek ye the Lord while he may
be found. Call ye upon him while he is
near. Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord,
and he will have mercy upon him. And to our God for he will abundantly
pardon." Now the title of the message is taken from verse 7. A message for the wicked. A message for the wicked. What do you think when you hear
that title? Do you think, well I'm glad he's
talking about that tonight because I know a few people here that
he's talking to and it's not me, right? A message for the wicked. This
word wicked, it means the guilty one. It means the condemned man. It means one who is guilty of
sin. Is that you? Does that describe
you? Does that describe me? The prophet Isaiah said this, woe is me. I'm undone. I am a man of unclean
lips. and I dwell in the midst of a
people of unclean lips. In the book of Samuel, listen
to the words of David. David said this to Nathan, he
said, I have sinned against the Lord. David, David of whom God said
this, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my
own heart, which shall fulfill all my will." Job said this. This is written
in the book of Job. If I justify myself, what? My own mouth would condemn me. If I say I'm perfect, I just
prove myself to be perverse. Job, of whom God asked Satan,
Have you considered my servant, Job? Paul, in 1 Timothy 1, he
declared this. He said, I am the chief of sinners. And in Romans 7, he wrote this.
Oh, wretched man that I am. Not that I used to be, but that
I am, that I continue to be. I'll ask again. is a message
for the wicked, a message for you. Turn with me to 1 John 1. 1 John 1. We're beginning with verse 8
of 1 John 1. If we say that we have no sin, if we say
that, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned,
we make him a liar and his word is not in us. Consider this,
Paul writing to Timothy, he said, this is a faithful saying. This is a true saint and worthy
of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to
save sinners. Of whom I'm the chief, he says. Salvation. Salvation is of the
Lord. Salvation is for sinners. That's
who it's for. Call his name Jesus. For what? For he shall save his people
from their sin. Can you take your place as a
sinner? Can we fall at his feet as a
sinner? Well, look with me back to Isaiah
55. Look at verse six. Seek ye the Lord while he may
be found. Seek him. As a sinner, I need
him. I must have him. Scripture declares,
seek him. Seek the Lord. Seek the Lord
thy God and thou shalt find him. If you seek him with all your
heart, and with all your soul." In Mark 5, we read of a woman. There was a woman who had an
issue of blood, and she had suffered from that ailment for 12 years. Scripture says this, that she
spent everything she had. She had suffered many things
for many physicians. And what she had to show for
that? Nothing. Nothing. She was nothing better. She only grew worse. She was in need, wasn't she?
Any doubt that she was in need? And one day, one day she heard
of a man. She heard of the Lord Jesus Christ. And no doubt she sought him because
one day she came into a large crowd of people and she saw him
and she said this, if I can but touch his garment. Just touch
his garment. She sought the Lord. She sought
him. Her money, that which she had,
that couldn't save her. I couldn't. She spent all that
she had. She suffered many things from
many physicians. A man couldn't save her, but
Christ could. The God-man could. Zacchaeus
sought him. Remember Zacchaeus? We love that
account, don't we? That story of Zacchaeus. God's
Word declares that Zacchaeus sought to see Jesus. He sought
to see who he was, and he couldn't. He could not because of the press,
that large crowd of people, because he was little in stature. Did
that hinder him? He sought the Lord, didn't he?
He climbed up in that tree just so he could see him, and the
Savior walked by. Oh, how glorious was that when
the Savior looked up at him and called him by name. In Jeremiah
29, we read this. Ye shall seek me, and ye shall
find me. when you search for me with all
your heart." Why wouldn't a man seek the Lord?
Why wouldn't a woman seek the Lord? A young person, seek the
Lord. He says those that seek me are
going to find me. Seek him with all your heart. You know, I don't know of any
account in scripture where a man or a woman truly sought the Lord. and did not find him. Seek the Lord. That's the life
of a believer, continually seeking him. Seek him at all times. Seek him where he may be found.
Seek him where God's people gather together. Why else would we gather
together here on a Sunday night? Isn't that our desire? To seek
Him? To see a glimpse of Him? To worship Him? He promised this. He said, where two or three are
gathered in my name, there I'll be in the midst of them. Seek Him. Seek His pardon. Seek
His presence. Seek His salvation. And listen,
we don't just seek him on Sundays and Wednesdays, do we? No, seek
him continually. Seek him while he may be found. You know, if he's pleased to
reveal my sin to me, pleased to reveal my need of him, that
I must have him, What am I to do? Seek Him. Seek Him. Don't seek religion. Don't seek man. Don't seek the
law. Seek the Lord. Second, call ye
upon Him while He's near. Call on Him. Scripture says this,
whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Blind Bartimaeus called on him. He continually called on him. He wouldn't shut up, would he?
Can you just picture that? There he was, sitting there by
the wayside, begging. And those men, all those other
folks around, they tried to silence him. What'd he do? He called out the louder. Jesus,
thou son of David, have mercy on me. I ask you, are you a sinner? Are
you in need? Call on him. That's what scripture
says. Call on him. Like Peter. Peter, as he began to sink, Three words, Lord save me. What'd the Lord do? Reached forth
his hand, grabbed him. That thief on the cross, what'd
he say? He'd railed on him there for a while, hadn't he? Just
like that other man. But at some point, he learned
something about who he was, who the Lord Jesus Christ is. He
said, we deserve to be up here. This man done nothing to miss.
What'd he say to him? Lord, remember me. Call on him. Call on him while
he's near. I ask you, in each one of these
occurrences, what happened? What happened? A man in need
cried out for help. A man in need called on the Lord
Jesus Christ to save him. Blind Bartimaeus called on him,
Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And the Lord asked
him, what would you have me to do? What you need that I may
receive my sight? And the Lord Jesus Christ said
to him, go that way. Thy faith hath made thee whole
and immediately. How quickly? Immediately he received
his sight. Peter, Peter called on him, remember,
Lord, save me, save me. The Lord stretched out his hand
and he caught him and he said unto him, O thou of little faith,
wherefore didst thou doubt? Couldn't that just be said to
us say every day, every waking hour, every minute, huh? O thou
of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? The thief on the
cross, that one who had at one point rebuked that other thief,
what did he say? We receive the due reward of
our deeds. We're sinners. Not this man. Not the Lord Jesus Christ. He's
done nothing amiss. Lord, remember me. Remember me when you come into
your kingdom. He called on the name of the
Lord. And the Lord spoke to that thief. Can you imagine how comforting
these words had to be to this dying man? This one who knew,
he knew he was worthy of death. He knew he deserved it. And the
Lord said to him, today, today, thou shalt be with me in paradise. Seek the Lord, call on his name. You know, there are those who
will not. There are those who refuse to. Our Lord spoke of
them in John chapter 5. Turn there with me to John chapter
5 and verse 39. John 5, look at verse 39, search the scriptures for in
them, this is our Lord speaking, search the scriptures for in
them you think you have eternal life and they are they which
testify of me. Listen to what he says here,
and you will not come to me that you might have life. Unwilling, unwilling by nature
to confess I'm a sinner. Unwilling by nature to admit
my inability. Unwilling to seek God's mercy,
to fall at his feet. Unwilling to cast ourselves on
Christ. I ask you, has he revealed your
need of him? Call on him. Call on him while
he's near. Call on him. Cry out for help. Back to our text here, Isaiah
55 verse 7. Let the wicked forsake his way
and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let the wicked forsake his way. Leave it behind. That's what
that means. Shall we continue in sin? That question was asked. Shall
we continue in sin that grace may abound? What was the answer
to that? God forbid. Leave it behind. How shall we
live? How shall we, that are dead to
sin, continue to live in it? Turn from it. The way of sin. What is that? That's my own way.
That's my way. That's the way of my own choosing.
And nothing, Nothing can turn me from that apart from the grace
of Almighty God. He must turn me. You know, remember Zacchaeus?
After the Lord was pleased to save him, what'd he say? Behold,
Lord, half my goods I give to the poor. And if I've taken anything
by any man, by false accusation, I'll restore it to him fourfold. That's a different man than the
one that climbed up in that tree, wasn't it? The Lord dwells in
him. Spirit of God dwells in him now. Turned from darkness to light. Turned from the power of Satan
to almighty God. Turned from my thoughts about
salvation. Not by works of righteousness,
which we've done. No, according to his mercy, according
to his grace, according to his purpose, by the washing of regeneration
and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Let the wicked forsake
his way. Paul, writing to the Corinthians,
he said, if any man be in Christ, if any man be in Christ, he is
a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become
new." Do you still have Isaiah 55-7? What's a wicked man to
do? What is a sinner to do? Let him return to the Lord. Return to the Lord. You know,
man in the beginning, he was created upright. created in the
image of Almighty God. But he didn't remain that way,
did he? Adam fell. Adam disobeyed God. And when
he disobeyed God, when he departed from God, when he fell, we fell
in him. Every man is tempted. when he's drawn away by his own
lust and enticed. And when lust hath conceived,
it bringeth forth sin. And sin, when it's finished,
bringeth forth death." That's Adam. That's us. We've departed
from him. We've gone astray. We've turned
to our own way, like those sheep drifting off prone to wonder,
but listen to the words of our Lord. Let him return to the Lord. Let him return. Spurgeon once
quoted this. He said, I do not come into this
pulpit hoping that perhaps somebody will of his own free will return
to Christ. He said, my hope lies in another
quarter. I hope that my master will lay
hold of some of them and say, you're mine and you shall be mine. I claim you for myself. My hope arises from the freeness
of grace and not the freedom of man's will. Our Lord said,
no man cometh to the Father but by me. He said this, no man can come
to me except the Father which has sent me draw him. Return, return unto the Lord. Peter wrote this, he said, you
were as sheep going astray but you are now returned unto the
shepherd and bishop of your souls. I must be redeemed. I must be
brought back. I must be returned to the shepherd
and bishop of my soul. Return. That's the return to
the Lord. Return to him from whom I've
departed. Return to him against whom I've
sinned. That's what David said. He said,
against thee and thee only have I sinned and done this evil in
thy sight. Return to him that can save,
that is mighty to save. That leper, remember what the
leper said? Lord, if you will, you can make
me whole. Do you still have Isaiah 55 verse
seven? Let him return to the Lord. And the Lord, he'll have mercy
on him and to our God. You know, there's nothing in
there to commend the sinner, is there? No, it's by his mercy
that he would receive us to himself. Micah chapter 7 verse 18 says
this, that he delights to show mercy. Not only does he show
mercy, he delights to show mercy. That's a message for the wicked,
isn't it? For a sinner, seek the Lord. Seek him. Call upon him while
he's near. Let the wicked forsake his way. Return to the Lord. He'll have
mercy. And listen, he will abundantly. That word abundantly, it means
to increase greatly. He will abundantly, exceedingly
pardon. What's pardon? It means to forgive. It means to spare. God in Christ
is gracious, and merciful, and he will abundantly pardon." Pardon
from sin, original sin, actual sin, future sin, all sin, the
sins of his people. I ask you, is that good news?
Good news for a sinner or good news for a wicked man? I told
you the title at the opening of the message, A Message for
the Wicked. I ask you this, what do you think
about that when you hear that title? Would you say that's not
a message for me? I hope not. Oh, I hope not. I hope you wouldn't say that's
a message, I know some people that's a good message for. Or would you say this, that's
a message for me. That's a message for me. I'm
a sinner. I'm in need. I need him. I must
have him. Are you in need of him? Is this
message for you? Then listen to this command in
verse one of Isaiah 55. Ho, everyone that thirsteth. What's the command? Come to the waters, he that hath
no money. I don't have any way to pay for
this. Come without money. Come ye buy and eat. Come buy
wine and milk without money and without price. What's a sinner
to do? Come. Come to him. Ho, everyone that thirsteth. I think about this story every
time I read this passage, but years ago, back home, my brother-in-law
and sister-in-law, they had a pancake Saturday, okay? We all lived kind of in the same
little community there. We all lived together. And every
now and then on a Saturday, Carrie would call everybody and say,
come on down, we're having pancakes and bacon. We'd just drop what
we were doing, and we'd head down that way. And one of those
Saturday mornings, there was a fella that was putting shingles
on the house for him. And we're in there eating, and
he's out there working. And Adam, my brother-in-law,
goes out and says, Chris, why don't you come in and have some
pancakes with us? And Chris said, Now that's just,
that's just for your family. That's not for me. That's just
for your family. And Adam persisted two or three
more times, hit Chris, come on in, eat some pancakes with us.
And each time his reply was, can't do that. It's just for
family. And finally, my, my father-in-law
who without a doubt was the wisest one in the family, he goes out
and he says, Chris, Why don't you come and eat pancakes with
us? And he says, Dale, that's just for your family. And he
said, stop right there. He said, this is the question.
Are you hungry? Do you like pancakes? And he took off his tool belt,
and he came in, and he sat down, and he had breakfast with us. Men get caught up in a lot of
questions, don't we? When it comes to salvation. Did
he die for me? Am I one of his elect? Here's
the question. Do you believe? Do you believe? Do you need him? Are you thirsty? If so, come to him. Him. Scripture says this, blessed,
blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness
for they shall be filled. Seek ye the Lord while he may
be found. Call upon him while he's near. Let the wicked What should the
wicked do? Forsake his way, and the unrighteous
man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he'll
have mercy on him, and he will abundantly pardon. The Lord will have mercy on him
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.